The American people never voted for Obamacare

By Robert Romano

As a famous German propagandist once said, if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.

Elections have consequences, it is true. And in 2008, following the epic market crash and financial crisis, Republicans were demolished in the general election, losing the White House while Democrats picked up seats in the House and Senate.

And yet, as catastrophic as that was for the GOP, Democrats did not achieve a complete lock on government. They still only had 59 seats in the U.S. Senate, one short of a filibuster-proof supermajority in that body.

It was not until the late Sen. Arlen Specter, a lifelong Republican, switched parties in April 2009 to join Democrats, providing the 60th vote in favor of Obamacare in December 2009.

But to argue this was somehow a sweeping mandate for overhauling the nation’s health care system is a bit specious.

After all, when voters were given their opportunity to render their verdict on Specter in 2010 — and thus Obamacare — they threw Specter out on his ear in favor of now Sen. Pat Toomey. Again, Toomey was an Obamacare opponent.

In that respect, if the issue in the 2004 primary had been national health care, it is not outlandish to suggest that Specter might not have prevailed.

Even in the state of Massachusetts, when socialized medicine advocate Ted Kennedy passed away, and voters had an opportunity to affirm their support for Obamacare, they elected Scott Brown on the platform that he would vote against it.

In 2010, after Brown was sworn in and when Democrats could no longer get to 60, they made several modifications to Obamacare using the simple majority reconciliation process, getting around traditional order in the Senate that typically requires 60 votes.

Again, hardly a sweeping mandate for a law that only came into being because Specter duped Pennsylvania voters by changing his party affiliation. If elections had had the consequences voters intended, Obamacare would have been killed at inception by being blocked in the Senate.

To argue otherwise is to make the claim that somehow, in 2004, when Specter was reelected as a Republican, Pennsylvania voters secretly knew of his plans to switch parties (and vote for Obamacare) when it became clear he would lose to Toomey in the 2010 GOP primary. Which, of course, is ridiculous.

In fact, Pennsylvania voters have a history of rejecting nationalized health care supporters, including Rick Santorum’s victory over appointed incumbent Harris Wofford in 1994.

This history flies in the face of the Democrat narrative that elections have consequences. The American people did not vote for Obamacare.

Instead, the law was enacted without a single Republican voting for it in the Senate. And now with Obamacare set to fully go into effect in 2014, the American people are to believe that the debate is over. That it’s a done deal, the law of land, and we just need to move on as a nation.

That, the only role for the Republican-controlled House of Representatives — which was reelected in 2012 — is to rubber stamp the law’s funding. That there can be no discussion on this point. No negotiation with House leaders.

But as House Speaker John Boehner recently stated, “It just doesn’t work that way.”

Yes, elections do have consequences, but to get anything done in the U.S. Senate, you need 60, not 51. And, to get any appropriations passed, they must be originated and get through the House of Representatives.

So, if Democrats really want the so-called shutdown to end, perhaps they should try sitting down with Boehner and talking about Obamacare. Grandstanding and pretending the law came into being via popular acclaim while effectively shoving it down the nation’s throat is a continuation of a big lie in the hopes that voters won’t remember what really happened.

Robert Romano is the senior editor of Americans for Limited Government.

pearl87

I so not believe there is a peaceful solution to the important issues of our day any longer. It is clear that the faction for communism and evil is too powerful now to back down to the will of the people, but will press forward until they are met with force in defense of the people’s right to self-govt. I wish it were not so, but they are without shame or compunction and will continue to enforce their will against America unless they meet resistance.

guest

I believe you are right pearl87
Unfortunately, these tyrants beginning with the one in the Peoples House are adamant and arrogant. They care not NOT for ‘we the people’
I came here many years ago, Legally, after completing all kinds of tests both health and otherwise. Never was anything free from the start. We could not even get in without either funds, a job or relatives. Now the illegals will get every thing free to fill up the fake votes for these tyrants.
As in the UK, the real citizens are deliberately being outnumbered so these communists of which there are at least 80 who were in the Communist Party, (per Allen West) hold the reins in Congress, can subvert the most beautiful document in the world. THE CONSTITUTION. The best in the world also.
I am sad and sickened. Too late for me to go elsewhere to be free.

Frick

I am not so sure they voted for obama!

http://wahrheitmacher.blogspot.com/ Most Rev. Gregori

I agree 100%, as I have been saying the same thing myself, but if the American people are going to put up a show of force, they had better do it quickly or it will soon be too late. I have no idea how much longer it is going to take for the American people to wake up and realize that we are NEVER going to win at the voting booth or in the courts, because no matter who we elect from either party, ends up screwing us once they get a taste of the good life.

Robert J. Romano

That is not the standard. The standard is getting to 60 in the Senate, and neither the election of 2008 nor 2012 produced a filibuster-proof majority for Obama and the Democrats in the Senate. They only got one because Arlen Specter defected. The American people did not vote for that to happen and when Pennsylvania voters got to chime in, they threw Specter out on his ear.

RMorrow

‘If you pound a lie loud enough and long enough the people actually start to believe the lie.’ “Adolph Hilter.” Liberailsm is the new Nazism or the new name for SATANISM.

wired2comment

Excellent points all. As my mother likes to say ” the Bigger the lie, the more believable” Obama has lied about this Affordable Care Act- starting with the name Affordable. FIrst it was going to save $2500 per family, then everyone was going to be insured, then nothing would change not your doctor or your plan- Now they are saying of course it is going to have to cost more because the uninsurable are now covered and somebody has to pay- too bad the middle class that voted for it by electing Democrates didn’t realize they would be the ones paying the bills- JOKE is on you if you believed Obama. So glad this bears his name now, he won’t be hiding this “achievement” like his school records.

Daniel Spickard

Where there’s still will, there will always be a way. If you read the Bible, good will always defeat evil. Evil only rules because good allows it. If the good people of this nation were to put their foot down, and work together (instead of constant bickering), We can weed out corruption and destroy it once and for all. The reason this country got this bad is because people stopped voting. And the reason they stopped voting is because people are afraid of change, and to make change in some people’s eyes is evil.

Daniel Spickard

No, it is we the people that allowed this corruption to happen. People in this country are so stuck on themselves that they can’t see what’s coming down the street in front of them. The people of this country allowed their representatives to take control of their lives. They allowed the government to become the employer. In this country “WE THE PEOPLE” are the employers, not the other way around, and until people come to realize this fact, the government will become more and more corrupt until it takes everything with it when it falls. Take a good look at each and every one of those Europian countries that are either in turmoil or are on the edge of falling. If you take a good look, the only form of government that actually does work is democracy, where you have elected officials. If we allow our democratic society to fall, and become a socialist society, then we will then just become slaves to the ruling class, just like Rome, Egyptians, Hitler, etc…. Which all failed miserably.

Johnny geetar

I’ve been SCREAMING since 2009, There IS NO political solution to this mess. It doesn’t exist. I laugh at all these armchair Republicans that vow to show the Democrats what’s what in 2014….. What they fail to realize is that, after the 2010 election where the commies were dealt an embarrassing blow, they cemented their hold on the voting booth, and rendered it null and void! The American election process has been completely corrupted and as a tool to reflect the polltical sentiments of the American people, it’s completely WORTHLESS. 114%? 121%? Please……It’s results can NEVER be trusted again. At least, not by anyone with an IQ exceeding 47……..
With Obama’s low DNC attendance and his low election rally turnouts, there’s NO WAY he won in 2012. He couldn’t even fill a stadium halfway at the DNC! Remember THAT? Moved the venue from a 77,00 seat stadium, to a 22,000 seat arena, and blamed it on the weather! Are you kidding me? Cleveland, 1 week before the election, and an Obama rally had STEVIE WONDER performing FREE for the attendees. FREE! They couldn’t get even 200 people in the door. No way he won……. Not a chance in hell. Not that the fearless GOP bothered to challenge the results…..
Point being, there IS NO POLITICAL REMEDY to communist infiltration. There is no reasoning with these people. All the emails, letters, rallys and petitions aren’t gonna do D*CK. These people are like vermin, or cockroaches…..What’re you gonna do…..REASON em out? VOTE em out? HA!
American degredation will continue unabated until the cozy armchair warriors realize it’s time to put their money where their mouth is. NO ONE WANTS THIS. Only a madman would covet firing upon your own brethren, but we are not mad… We are fed up. And there IS NO OTHER VIABLE OPTION for removing the scourge of communism/progressivism, which unfortunately has also infected the republican party like a San Francisco STD.
We cannot TALK them out, we cannot VOTE them out….. The remaining option? We have to DRIVE them out. That is the only naked remedy left available. We can either slowly suffocate to death, and watch America take our children and grandchildren down WITH it, or we can fight. The solution is NOT to be found in emails, or letters to congressmen….. The solution is in your bedroom closet sitting behind your badmitton racket.

Johnny Geetar

77,000 seat stadium, sorry. Fat-fingered!

Daniel Spickard

Let’s just wait and watch our country lose world reserve currency. After which all of the world will be in turmoil for the next ten years. This is how long after WWll it took for the world to accept the US dollar as reserve currency. If this happens the people that stand to lose the most are the drug cartels, because being illegal they can’t just exchange all of their dollars. They are going to be out billions and billions of dollars. They will put a hit out on those who cause them to lose all of this money.
Then there is Obama-care, that is going to implode, and when it does, it’s going to take the whole healthcare industry with it. Once this happens, no one in this country will have any form of health insurance. This in itself will destroy the whole democratic party, because as you may or may not know, not one Republican signed that disaster.

jwatersphd

Robert, you’re a bright guy and usually straightforward, but here you’re a demagogue. The people never vote as a whole for laws, they’re enacted pretty much as you say. So that’s just a straw man. You can detail all the qualifications, but that’s the case with everything. I’ll bet if there were a right wing law that passed under similar ambiguous circumstances you’d take the other position. You’d say, well that’s how laws are made. Which is why I’m scornful here. Likewise, all the stuff about needing an overwhelming majority in the Senate is true. I happen to think that’s stupid, but mention “the nuclear option” and supposedly, to hear the hype, we’re talking about “tyranny.” Even though it’s led to effective minority rule. On these pages, Obama’s always about tyranny. It’s probably in peoples’ spell checker – type Obama and it changes to Obummer Tyrant Muslim Kenyan. It’s a priori.

None of this makes it a good idea to try to legislate in a showdown over keeping the government running. Maybe you need to think more about this. Would you think it would be a good idea if the left were to shut down the government until the right agreed to stop funding all activities preventing abortions? Or until the Kyoto treaty was ratified (among many examples). Would we be talking about “Braveheart” if we were talking about freedom from religion? Complex problems demand deliberation, not a game of chicken. Obama and the Democrats have said they’ll negotiate on all this, once we are out of a crisis. Yeah, I can hear you saying, you don’t believe it, but the shoe could just as easily be on the other foot.

I’m not the one who created the “people voted for Obamacare” straw man. Many on the left have, including the White House. I’m merely responding to the straw man.

Robert J. Romano

Oui.

Myrtle Linder

The country has been taken hostage under Obama, he calls the shots, like it or not. BONDAGE IT IS. WE WANT OUT!!

Myrtle Linder

One big draw back: many times we had to vote for the least evil or not vote at all, Then: we were sure we had decent candidate and he was lying through his/her teeth about what he would stand for as well as what he was against.

We went to hear this one politician speak and she swore she would do all in her power to see that there was no gun laws passed. A few days later we went to a diferent place to hear the same politician speak where it appeared the majority wanted gun laws passed. She swore that she would do all in her power to pass strict gun laws.

Myrtle Linder

Obama has a “lie bank.” If he runs out of lies he hurries over to the lie bank and picks up a new supply

Paul

Well stated, sir. Sadly, history keeps repeating itself and nobody sees it or learns from it. What is happening in our nation happened many times in the history of humanity (Romans, Egyptians, Germany, etc…). Here it is, again. We are all facing the slow destruction of the greatest nation that has ever existed. As I am sure you already know, Revelations is unfolding right before our eyes. This is our last time around.

Mark

You may not believe this, but principled people don’t care which side the issue happens to fall on this time if there’s a principle involved. When you make a law that affects EVERY American, you had better take into account the political representatives of those people. The Republicans represent at least half of this nation. To cravenly disregard that fact because the door was left ajar for 2 years is wrong. Principled people would agree and I know most Conservatives would agree. Obamacare is the biggest imposition on the American people, ever. The Democrats pulled this stunt and have no intention of giving it back. So, Mr. Big Government, when would be a good time to discuss this? Your party loves to say we’ll negotiate once out of this crisis. A) We weren’t born yesterday. That’s bunk. B) Obamacare is taking effect NOW. So, if now isn’t the time, when is? It’s time for the president to acknowledge what his party did, apologize, and negotiate. He’s not the dictator, tho he likes to play one between vacations and rounds of golf. And, as we see by how this “shutdown” has been handled, I fully expect Obama to play games to create maximum fear and pain for the people and his opponents. The world won’t come to an end as he wants us to believe. And finally, it’s good to see you showing off your battle scars. Braveheart, Obummer Tyrant Muslim Kenyan. You like to come here and inflict your nonsense on us, it’s good to see some of it has stuck to you. Keep it up, serf.

Mark

waterspout is the king of straw men. Thanks for taking a minute to respond to him. I get tired of babysitting him alone.

Russ Farnsworth

I’m not sure what country the author is from but the US Senate doesn’t usually come to the doors of citizens to ask if they approve of bills they are about to vote on. Also, Republican approval of any law is not required. Not ever. It is hilarious that people are pretending that because the law had no Republican votes that it is somehow illegitimate. How stupid is this country?

Mark

Not to mention cheating to get Al Franken elected.

Russ Farnsworth

I believe that there is a way to achieve a revolution without bloodshed. And, it would be effective, unlike participating in party politics. From my view, we either get it done or we sit and watch the country fall apart before our eyes.

Mark

If you haven’t read “The Liberty Amendments” by Mark Levin, I suggest you do it now. It may give you hope for one more option.

Myrtle Linder

I believe that we do have a chance but to do it every person has to stand strong on what hey believe and not worry about what somebody else thinks about our opinions. I know for a fact worrying about what somebody else would think, stops many people from voting right. We need to worry about only “number one thinks,” yourself. As for me I do not care what anyone else thinks as long as I do what I know is the right thing. That is the only way I can win.

jwatersphd

So do you continue to think complex matters should be solved in crisis negotiations? What’s planned for the debt limit? I hear the Keystone pipeline, this and that. Plus, your headline declares that the people never voted for it. It’s right there in large type. Maybe you should take some responsibility instead of nit-picking.

jwatersphd

Oh, Daddy! You’re here to save me. Now I feel safe . . . What happened to the quaking leaf we saw last week of being fearful of this, that, and everything else.

jwatersphd

This is completely non-responsive to the point.

Mark

Read more carefully. Your points are answered. non-sensical as they are. OK, looks like this week we’re going to play snarky, sarcastic troll. Carry on, serf.

Michaellaborde

Elections were rigged.

Mark

I’m not your Daddy, the government is. Run to Obama’s loving arms.

http://wahrheitmacher.blogspot.com/ Most Rev. Gregori

AMEN.

jwatersphd

Play by yourself Mark. I’ve got to do some work.

Mark

I’m sure you do. Brush up on what it means to be an American. Do some reading. Start with the Constitution.

notalib

Great article. This is a good little history lesson. Yea, elections have consequences. Shoving unpopular laws down our throats also have consequences. Bad laws need to be changed or eliminated.

notalib

Russ, objecting to little parliamentary switches and games does not make Americans stupid. It makes politics and politicians hateful and disgusting.

Jarrett Lewis

Jesus H. Christ.

There is no remedy for stupid.

But, I can try to teach the ignorant, right?

First off, Adolph Hitler DID NOT say that. That was Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Sure, he was Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, but that’s like attributing Edwin M. Stanton (Lincoln’s Secretary of War) with the quote “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Second off, there’s absolutely 100% NO comparison to National-Socialism and Satanism, especially since Satanism (be it theistic or Laveyan) is a religion.

PLEASE get your facts right before uttering such STUPID garbage.

Robert J. Romano

I take full responsibility for the headline that I wrote, which was in response to an argument that is being made on the left that somehow the American people voted for Obamacare — one that you accurately describe as a straw man. Ultimately, we’re asking the questions, “Is there a mandate for Obamacare? Was there ever?”

If not, then Republican actions to use the debt ceiling and continuing resolution to chip away at the law are more than justified. They are extraordinary actions taken against a law that was enacted in an extraordinary way. We believe their only alternative is to rubber stamp the law as the House majority, and we’re making the case that that is unacceptable.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I’ll have a piece on the debt limit, and thank you for your comments.

trey

Specter was not a life long Republican before he switched parties and voted for Obamacare. He was a Democrat from 1951 – 1965

Daniel Spickard

I wouldn’t have voted for her. I would have voted for the other person. All that politician was giving was lip service.

pduffy

Obamacare is not law, but man-imposed tyranny. Ever since the beginning, men have attempted to impose their own corrupt ideas and wills on others, forming governments, monarchies, and a myriad of other ‘systems’ and they ALL have ended in failure. The end is always the same – wars, death and a destruction. America is more like the old Roman Empire, that was also a ‘republic’ and also started out free and prosperous, but fell into corruption as they too rejected the only law that leads to happiness and prosperity – the law of God, which includes, “THOU SHALT NOT STEAL”, and that commandments includes GOVERNMENT THEFT. Our fate is now sealed because America is the modern Rome.

Jack Parker

Arlen Specter. A name which will live in infamy.

RMorrow

Jarrett Lewis, You say Jesus H. Christ. There is no middle initial in the name of Christ and you are lecturing people about stupid?
Jesus is a frist name, Christ is not a last name. Christ means the annoited one, the one sent from God.
Obviiously you don’t watch the Military Channel on all the documentaries on WWII, and Adolph Hitler.
Obviuosly you have not read the Bible which makes you not very intelligent since all our moral principles and foundation of all truth come from the Word of God, not the low life stinking lying Liberals.
You say there is no comparison to National Socialsim and Satanism? Now, who is the one being stupid here again?
Satanism is the opposite ways of God. Liberalism is the new name for Satanism. Why do you think the homosexuals and Liberals keep filling up the graveyards in record numbers daily? Liberalism is more lethal than any war ever could be.
We lost over 400,000 soldiers in WWII. Whch was the most men ever in a war by our nation. AID’S alone here in the United States has killed over 650,000 homosexuals and well over 1.1 million are currently infected and they will die since there is no cure for AIDS. I would says those numbers alone dwarf the number of soldiers that died in WWII. We have not even included the numbers of dead from cancer and other uncurable diseases that Liberalism brings. And you wonder why we call Liberals idiots?
Nazism brought the German people to ruins with over 25 milion dead Germans. Liberalism is by far much worse, and more lethal.
Why do you think the Liberlas and homoseuals are screaming for healthcare? Because they walk with Satan and they need healthcare.
Socialism is a central power controlling over the people, which makes that as un-Godly as it gets. God gives us the freedom to choose, not to be controlled and manipulated which is evil and under the ownership of Satan. God didn’t create man to hearded around like cattle in which socialism does.
Welcome to the real world.

Jarrett Lewis

Fuck. YOU are the kind of person that makes me despise my own political party. YOU are the kind of person that’s just SO FUCKING STUPID and makes me a “closet Republican”.

Did you GO to school? (don’t answer that; you clearly did not receive a normal education if you cite the Military Channel as a reputable source and dodge every single point I make. Hell, you might as well not even read past this point, you uneducated rube)

Look, “Liberalism” does NOT bring cancer or AIDS or anything. Those are diseases brought on by mutations of cells or a virus. It’s not preventable, it’s not for anyone to blame. Liberals, gays, conservatives, heathens, Satanists, Deists, Hindus, Pagans, Jews, Christians, Muslims, NO ONE IS AT FAULT FOR NATURAL CAUSES, YOU STUPID, CLOSE MINDED, HICK.

Fuck you, fuck your children.

Jarrett Lewis

Also “real” world?

Says the one whose eyes are clouded by the biggest fairy-tale known to man.

RMorrow

Jarret Lewis, you are the perfect example of what God is talking about. When God showed me how evil Liberals like you are, I almost went into shock. God never lies about anything. You don’t even know know what Liberalism is? And you lecture people on stupid with your evil? You don’t even know what a natural cause is.
Your ignorance and your evil is comig out loud and clear. This is why Liberalism has to be destroyed like Nazism was destroyed.
Cancer and AIDS is not an natural cause. You would know that if you had read the Bible. But, I keep forgetting Liberals don’t know how to read.

Jarrett Lewis

No where in the Bible does it even MENTION cancer or AIDS, dipshit.

And you clearly can’t read as I’ve CLEARLY stated that I am a Republican, but pretty fucking ashamed that I have to associate with morons like you.

RMorrow

Jarret Lewis, you should know when to stop when you are behind. You are not a Republican and you are not conservative and your Liberal lies fall on deaf ears. Try reading Exodus 15:26, providing you know how to read.
You just want to be in a spitting contest with your anger.

Jarrett Lewis

I am not going to read a fairy-tale and live my life by it. Fuck you if you think I should. I live my life by how I want to.

Fuck you for trying to tell me what I am and what I am not. I hope you enjoy fucking your cousin.

I’m gonna go buy a Bible just to burn it now.

RMorrow

Okay Mr. SATAN.

Jarrett Lewis

You caught me.

cooltruth

I don’t want any “mandatory” anything I have to keep paying for and can’t afford thanks to government allowing our jobs to be exported out of the country! Bring back our jobs before adding anything else to pay for. Government mandates making me sick without having to deal with stupid insurance companies if I were to need any medical care.

cooltruth

Well they’re SUPPOSED to be smart enough to not foist something this stupid over on us without having to ask everybody what they think about it. People should be able to buy whatever insurance they want without being required to buy insurance they don’t want. You can avoid buying car insurance by avoiding having a car. You shouldn’t have to buy insurance if you can’t afford the premiums for it.

Howie Feltersnatch

The American people don’t vote on legislation, or is that too complicated for you?

Russ Farnsworth

I agree that it sucks but it solves a lot of serious problems that existed with health care and I support it for that reason. If you’ve ever been a victim of the pitfalls that used to exist, you would probably agree. Also, there will be government subsidies for people who cannot afford health insurance. And though some of us may see higher premiums, millions of people who didn’t have health insurance will finally have it. The potential to save thousands of lives is very real. And though I cannot ask anyone to like the system I can nearly promise that if we work intelligently (not the way politicians and pundits want us to address things) we can create a health care system that is better and has no downsides. Obamacare is the only vehicle that exists to allow for that progress.

one who puts out lies is the mainstream media and so many believe it i do not trust any news NOT any.so the evils can do their evil against we the people. if any president had armed syria other than they would have been impeached . in 2010 even joe biden said he would impeach the president but we see only the ones who were doing right so we thought now seem to be a different person in the same body.one of the first things is to take a few rights away then take over health and then you control the people. ben carson is right this o’care is worse than slavery in one way but it is slavery we are now slaves but many do not even see it coming. when the IRS is the health panel to tell what ever doctor you have no you can not save this person or if it’s your little baby then and then only will the ones a sleep care too late to wake up to the fact during the first term was the time to stand. when a rally held for illegals while americans were shut off during the shut down was just a slap to each american’s face and that was what it was done for just to show you have no rights they control our very life in everything. we let the freedom we had be robbed by sitting back when something could have been done. but so many didn’t believe what is taking place now. wouldn’t listen and now our freedom as bill clinton said people will get used to living under communism. what a shame so many just let it happen did you ever wonder what change change yes we can meant? did anyone even ask what the change would be? i didn’t say any of this bush made me say it.

ConnieJ

You are partially right, but the MAJOR reason that the people got so hoodwinked was that we trusted the media to be true journalists. There was no internet or social media to point out the lies we were fed. We watched the evening news, believing that we were learning what was going on in this country and the world. In school we were taught personal values, personal responsibility, patriotism, and that the United States is the most powerful, the most honest, the most respected in the world. We always stepped in to help in national disasters. Parents were expected to be married and to raise their children with respect and responsibility. Neighbors stepped in and helped other neighbors. The Republicans stepped up with the civil rights battles, to give the southern ‘people of color’ the rights that were forcefully denied by the Democrats and their KKK. We were horrified when Dem Governor Orville Faubus used state troops to deny small children admission to the ‘white-only’ schools, and that President Eisenhower had to send in federal troops to guard the little ones, who were such a ‘threat’ to the Democrats and their minions. It was a long battle, but we finally won. Then came the “Great Society” and its campaign to subject the people into becoming totally dependent upon the government largess, and with it came the destruction of the black families. In return for this ‘largess’, the people became loyal Democrats, voting to keep their ‘benefactors’ in power and destroying the Republican plans to use education and jobs to make the black families independent. During all this time, the media became increasingly partisan, touting the ‘advantages’ of government dependence, and education took a back seat to the handouts and responsibility. I’m sorry to say that the free handouts won over the sense of self-respect and personal responsibility. The Democrats succeeded in becoming political giants, controlling most of the major cities and driving them into bankruptcy. Look at the numbers of failed Democrat-run cities, and now the entire American country. Is it too late to get back a sound fiscal government? One can only hope, but with the Dems in control, as they have been for the majority of the last 50 years, I have serious doubts.

txthomas

Americans endorsed Obamacare with the re-election of President Obama. Time to face reality.

Glenn Taylor

Jesus, that disgusting, lying, hypocrite bastard, may he rot in peace.

James Taylor

The American people spoke in 2012 when every republican running for office, was pushing platform of repealing Obama care. This included the presidential candidate Mitt Romney who again and again promised to repeal Obama care if elected. Final count, the democrats picked up seats in the house and senate and Mr. Romney lose by over 5 million votes. I would say that spoke louder then any mid term election. Especially when history shows that in mid-terms the presidents party usually takes a hit. This whole shut down could have been averted if the republicans had spent time saying they would work with the president, instead we heard them saying that they would do what ever it took to make him a one term president (didn’t happen) and do what ever it takes to ruin him.

Andy

That is the worst, most contorted and unsourced piece of nonsense I’ve ever read. First of all, if you want to get into specifics, 59 is a supermajority of 39 (1 reb. n/v), so the 60th vote is irrelevant. Regardless of whether or not Scott Brown didn’t like ACA, is irrelevant. It had already passed. It has been held up by the court. It is law. If you don’t like the Constitution, leave, because that’s our system.

dschian

In the conventional sense, people DID vote for the ACA (and voted for it again in 2012)-

By 2008, mericans had elected a senate in which 59 senators would have voted for the Affordable Care Act without that final swing vote.

That’s a majority. That’s reality. That’s how our government generally works. Or at least used to work- back when the United States was known for getting things done.

If the public sufficiently disliked it they had the opportunity to shift the balance of power in the government in 2012- or in the future. Hasn’t happened yet- same president and still a Democrat-controlled Senate, even though the Republicans control the House. The people had a chance to vote after “Obamacare” was passed- guess what happened? Let me repeat myself- in another way, despite the supposition that “Obamacare” is still reviled, Obama himself was re-elected.

Please take a moment for that to sink in.

“60 votes needed” is only the necessity for overcoming an obstructionist party that refuses to allow a simple majority to rule:

While millions and millions of Americans may despise the ACA, obviously enough voters still support it that didn’t get overturned after the last election. Only under a worldview in which obstructionism is the most important part of governance can one claim that voters not supporting a “complete lock on government” means they don’t in the democratic sense support a measure.

dschian

You can’t handle the truth…

Are You Serious?

Um. We did. It was one of his running points from the very VERY beginning. How is everyone forgetting this? Many of my friends who freelance were excited that they would have the possibility to access affordable healthcare.

http://customtaste.blogspot.com/ Mands Houston

Good and evil is a matter of perspective. Just because you don’t like something does not make you the “good guy”, the same someone doing something you don’t like makes them the “bad guy” of course there are some black and white areas, but as for the rest they are all grey.

dont_bring_me_down

People wanted a change….But no one expected the ACA to be formed almost ENTIRELY by Democrat staffers behind locked doors….

And now they are FORCING US TO PARTICIPATE??? wowowowowow fuck this government.

dont_bring_me_down

If you’re friends are younger than 35, they will be paying a HIGHER premium in 45 out of 50 states.

IS THAT WHAT YOU VOTED FOR??

Isake Stark

Lol you need some Universal Healthcare for that hairline and forehead Robert Romano

Stephen

You get to have your own opinion; you DO NOT get to have your own facts. Those are called ‘factoids’ and have similar value as other ‘oids’.

Average voter

Oh lord, another of these silly articles – Americans never voted for the War in Iraq either. For that matter, they didn’t vote for Social Security or Medicaid, etc. But they did put President Obama back in office with 332 electoral votes. In other words, the majority of people wanted Obama again. Folks are saying they ‘want America back’ – that’s a pity cause you ain’t getting it! Conservatism is the minority now & you should work with the majority rather than being obstructionists. You don’t have to like it, but you’d be wise to accept it – its just reality. Do you know what we call people who can’t accept reality?

Average Voter

Oh lord, another of these silly articles – Americans never voted for Obamacare but they never voted for the War in Iraq either. For that matter, they didn’t vote for Social Security or Medicaid, etc. But they did put President Obama back in office with 332 electoral votes. In other words, the majority of people wanted Obama again. Folks are saying they ‘want America back’ – that’s a pity cause you ain’t getting it! Conservatism is the minority now & you should work with the majority rather than being obstructionists. You don’t have to like it, but you’d be wise to accept it – its just reality. Do you know what we call people who can’t accept reality?

U.well.cum

Fucking nigger… We gave him a chance to prove himself, despite the fact he was voted in as the world’s most entertaining joke, and he fucking niggered us in the ass.

Edwin Masters

Oh lord, another of these silly articles – Americans never voted for the War in Iraq either. For that matter, they didn’t vote for Social Security or Medicaid, etc. But they did put President Obama back in office with 332 electoral votes. In other words, the majority of people wanted Obama again – it was a slimmer majority than 2008, but it was a majority. Folks are saying they ‘want America back’ – that’s a pity cause you ain’t getting it back! Conservatism is the minority now & you should work with the majority rather than being obstructionists. You don’t have to like it, but you’d be wise to accept it – its just reality. Do you know what we call people who can’t accept reality?

moregoose1944

You know How this SHlT Going to end?

Mike Arienti

Yes, they did. Obama campaigned promising to fix our healthcare system and he won two elections.

Al Zygos

Unfortunately, We did not vote for:
. The War in Iraq,
. Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
. . Precursor to the Affordable Healthcare Act
. Repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act 2013
… On and on and on.

Al O

Fucking racist slime. YOU are everything that is wrong with this country and this world. You can’t pass from this world fast enough for the rest of us decent people out here.

Al O

Yes, because I understand how insurance work. The participation and premiums of younger and healthier people is what allows the program to work properly for older and sicker people, and causes the overall average premiums to be lower for all Americans. And, someday, those younger people will be older and less healthy (or don’t you think that’s going to happen to you?) and they will be glad not to be paying an unaffordably huge amount or to be without coverage altogether.

Al O

Of course we voted for it, when we reelected Obama and the congresspeople who voted for the ACA. You just don’t like the way American government and democracy work under the Constitution, that’s all. I have a good idea for you: you should move to Somalia, where there’s no government, legislature, laws, or constitution to whine about.

minmaneth

The United States of America people also never voted on income tax. You gonna refuse to pay because of that? I don’t suggest it.

The truth

You make is sound like AIDs is strictly a homosexual disease. I hate to burst your bigoted bubble, but you are wrong. Why don’t you do some research or perhaps get an education before you speak about the things you know nothing about.

RMoron

Are you naturally this stupid or were you born through inbreeding?

Born free

Instead of being sad and sickened why don’t you actually do something to enact change. People love to bitch and whine but they never do anything. Back up your words with actions or shut up, sit down, and let the real Americans handle it… Otherwise, you can just go back to wherever you came from.

Michael

You talk about how in various state elections the supporter of Obamacare lost. NEWSFLASH: in the 2012 NATIONAL presidential election, Obama won a convincing victory. Get around that.

RMorrow

You are asking me if I am stupid when Liberals are constantly STUCK ON STUPID day in and day out?

RMorrow

The research does show that AIDS is being spread primarly in the homosexual bathhouses in every major city in America. Liberals constantly reflect that they are stuck on stupid. If Liberals didn’t have their lies to live for, they would have nothing to live for at all.

thirdcoming

Daniel,
What if you elect officials and they lie to you ? How is it the people’s fault if they are lied to and tricked ? The people didn’t ALLOW their representatives to take control of their lives. The government is so corrupt and they break they’re own laws. Is it the people’s fault that our governments spies on us, lies to us, takes away our liberties, overspends and ruins our economy, lies to us, engages in wars that it shouldn’t, protects the rich and the corporations, allows lobbyists to continue, lies to us, puts us in jail for petty crimes while they get away with so much worse, lies to us, makes laws to send jobs overseas while America suffers, gives more rights to illegal immigrants than it’s own people, etc….Oh yea, did I mention they are corrupt and lie to us ? I didn’t allow this, they deceived us and now we are stuck in it. Of course people need to do more, but all these immoral, irresponsible, selfish, tyrannical, things that our government does to us IS NOT OUR FAULT ! I respectfully disagree with you 100%. The government is a tyrannical entity that preys on it’s victims, THE PEOPLE. We are becoming a bonafide police state and are losing are freedoms every day. This is the Government controlling us and lying to us. How do you compete with that, except for the only solution….government overthrow ? Yea, the founding fathers wrote that we have the right and duty to abolish government when they become completely corrupt. Well, we are there….so what do we do now ?

thirdcoming

So what is the Republican answer to fixing health care ? I hate both parties, but Republicans….yuck !

thirdcoming

Yes…unfortunately human beings will ALWAYS be corrupt and will destroy themselves. We are the Roman Empire in its early stages of collapse. America isn’t the place we think it is when we are kids. It takes some time and maturity and life experience to see through all the brainwashing and lies. I love the idea of America that the forefathers envisioned and while America might be better than other countries ( debatable ) , that doesn’t justify all the corruption and lies. The Constitution is supposed to be our supreme document in which America should be run, but the people in government don’t obey the Constitution at all. We have a New Constitution now. One of corruption, lies, tyranny, inequality, large government, diminished rights and liberties, etc. The real People, the everyday American citizen, need to wake up and look deeply into the part of the Constitution that informs us to overthrow government when it becomes corrupt and tyrannical…..are we not there ?

pduffy

After years of structural rot, rust and neglect, a structure like a bridge collapses in an instant. But the moment before the collapse, it appears normal, but deep inside the evidence of the rot is hidden from the outside. Then, when the tipping point is reached, a ‘trigger’ sets in motion the destruction of the entire structure, and it falls to the ground. This exact sequence of events occurred in Minneapolis a few years ago when a bridge collapsed, killing dozens of people.
I would agree with everything you said, except that we are not in the ‘early’ stages of collapse. We are in the end game. The bridge is rotten to the core, but appears to still be standing. All it needs now is a ‘trigger’ to bring the entire thing down. The tipping point has been reached, politically it cannot be reversed. There is no will to repair the bridge, but we keep driving on it.

Fran

I agree as you stated but taking it one step further…it is Not politics…it is good (God) v evil. and remember who forced this on us (America) when the elections come in 2014 and 2016 and pray to God that even Voter Fraud will not prevail.

TexasVetgal

I’m in.

Ray

Obama will go down in history as the worst president this country has ever seen . And Hilary is not any better. There are two kinds of Democrats the good people of this country that really care and mean well and the ones in power that are constantly lying to them about everything. Unfortunately the good ones keep falling for the lies and re-electing the corrupt ones.Here ar just three lies by Obama that can be verifed by anyone that wants to take the time to research it. # 1(Obama claims that oil production is way up since he has been president but what he fails to tell the people is that oil production is up on privately owned land but it is down by over 50 % on goverment land) # 2 Obama claimed that you could keep your healthcare provider and doctor when he was pushing the Obama care legislation but despite his claims there is evidence that the white house new as early as 2009 that that was not true. #3 Obama claims that the deficit has been cut in half since he has been president . It was 9 Trillion when he took over and it is almost 17 Trillion as of Janurary 2014 anyone the can do simple addition can figure out that is a lie.If you want to see the future of this country if we keep heading in this direction just look at Venezuela they have had almost a decade head start. Today’s Liberals hide behind names like Progressives or Democrats but they are nothing but Elitists and Socialists

Buck Navich

I know this was written in2013 but the headline caught my eye during a search. The American people never voted for Obomacare. I know I didn’t. I just watched Al Sharpton and he was talking about how we HAD voted for this. He went on to state how Oboma was voted in twice in a land slide election. Now I didn’t vote for oboma but a realization just smacked me across the face. That’s the true power of the vote. Not for the people but for them. Whom ever I vote for, what ever lesser evil I try to do my best, but that vote is then used against us as permission for what ever horrible thing (or good) that one person decides. No matter that I don’t even have a decent choice in the first place. When I vote it is determined to be my written consent to be governed. Just because a person is voted for doesn’t mean voters consent. If anyone ever reads this post, I hope you can make sense of what I’m saying. I’m not a well educated person but laws are not supposed to be hard to understand. Fuck me I wish I was dead

Serg

I did not have an opportunity to vote in regard to Obamacare. So when Gruber refers to the “stupid people,” I can only conclude that he is talking about the Democrats that passed the bill without reading it.